They talked a few more minutes, then Ivan promised to phone again to keep Kemp updated. Kemp put down the phone, sat back, and stared out his window at the next building, barely fifty feet away. A small part of his mind noted that he wouldn’t be putting up with that much longer.

The interesting takeaway from the conversation was that the military hadn’t been trying to fake Ivan’s death so that they could study him. They’d actually tried to end him. Was that panic, or a cold, rational analysis that Ivan presented a real danger? Kemp admitted to himself that the whole nanite thing, by necessity, included a lot of unknowns and, in fact, unknowables. Was he helping someone who could, in fact, spell doom for humanity?

Kemp shook his head. You had to work with what you knew.

63.Purchase

63.Purchase

“I’d like to buy your ship.” Kemp waited. The silence at the other end of the line was pretty much what he’d expected.

Finally, Captain Jennings said, “Okay. This seems like a significant turnaround from our previous conversation. May I ask why?”

Kemp didn’t want to lie to the captain. He trusted and respected the man far too much. “Sir, I would rather not answer that question, although I will if you push me. I will say, though, that not doing so would place a layer of deniability between you and, uh, recent events. And we did discuss me purchasing your ship several weeks ago. We would both be able to truthfully state that, under oath.”

“Under oath? Charlie, I am severely tempted to push the issue and demand an explanation. But I trust your judgement. Let me ask this: Is there a point, somewhere in the future, where you’ll be able to explain all this?”

“Yes, sir. Pretty sure. It’s just a little, erm, fluid right now.”

“Okay, then.”

Jennings named a price and Kemp’s eyebrows rose almost to his hairline. “Captain, you could get more than that at a scrapyard!”

“Placing you in my debt, Doctor. That price plus an eventual explanation.”

“Done. I’ll have the money wired to you immediately. Yes, in advance of the paperwork. I want the audit trail to start right away.”

“Fair enough. Anything else, Doctor?”

“Have you taken possession of your new ship?”

“Yes, since you ask. I’m heading up to give her a shakedown cruise tomorrow.”

“Then I’d like to hire your ship.”

There were several seconds of silence before the captain answered, “You, uh, have a ship. Why do you need mine?”

“To find mine.”

Jennings groaned. “This had better be one doozy of a story, Kemp.”

* * *

Kemp received a call from Dr. Narang, less than an hour after hanging up with the captain.

“I understand you’re going on a little trip,” she said, without preamble.